What it takes to become a Beach Lifeguard Essay

When you arrive at the beach you will usually see the lifeguard either standing in his tower or talking to people attending the beach. People don’t pay much mind to the guard the rest of the day unless of course, you need help. (Thesis)

The truth is many people that attend the beach don’t know how hard it is to keep tens of thousands of people safe at the beach every year. This speech will take you into what being a beach lifeguard is all about. (Purpose Statement)

The purpose of this speech is to inform you on what it takes to be a beach lifeguard, and hopefully you come out of this with more knowledge about the water and its dangers. (Preview Statement) :

First, we will look at what lifeguarding is; what are the risks? What are the rewards? (Brotherhood) Second, we will look at the process to becoming a beach lifeguard. (Training) Finally we will look at implications of being a lifeguard.

Transition: I was first introduced to lifeguarding through my dad (Firefighter/ Paramedic) since the fire department is attached to the marine safety department in HB. The first thing I was told about this job was that it wasn’t a summer time job that anyone could get. Only a selected few could make the cut. MP #1: Although people may look at lifeguarding as an easy job, however, it demands a lot of diligence and hard work both mentally and physically. Ben Carlson’s death (brotherhood)

Everyone was affected by this tragedy. (All agencies are lifeguards) Pictures (Instagram- #bendidgo)
“It’s a brotherhood that’s very difficult to describe,” Newport Beach Fire chief Scott Poster said of the lifeguard community. “Unless you do it, you’ll never know what it’s like.” (ktla5 news) Even though it’s sometimes a big swell and its scary but all lifeguards at the beach are confident that they could bring anyone to shore. The praise and thanks that we receive from family members or by standers at a rescue is indescribable. We are the first line of safety.

Transition: Whenever I tell people that I am a beach lifeguard the first question I get is, “have you ever saved anyone!?” This past summer there were more than 200 rescues per day at Huntington Beach. That is just one beach. MP #2: To be a guard you have to be fit and a fast swimmer. You have to be dedicated and put time in to train and prepare before trying out. To tryout to become a guard you have to go through a series of swims and runs. (@ 6 AM) 1,000-yard open water swim (under 20 min.)

Run-swim-run (600-yard run; 400-yard swim)
Huntington Beach Fire chief, Patrick McIntosh says, “Out of the 300 of you sitting here today, only 20 of you will be hired as a beach lifeguard; Good luck!” After you are physically drained from the tryout (if you make it past) the instructors tell you to go home and get ready for an interview. When you are dressed in a suit and ready for the interview, you come back and sit down with two State Park Police Rangers with nerves of steel. They ask different kinds of questions involving your personal and professional life.

They also put you through different scenarios about what it takes to be a lifeguard. Finally, if you make it through the interview, you are then emitted into an 8 day training program where you are trained how to be a beach lifeguard. Each day at training you arrive at the beach when the sun comes up, and you do not leave until it goes down. On average you will run and swim 8 miles each day.

After all the hard work is done and you graduate; you start working the best job of your life.
Transition: Receiving this job has not only affected my life in a big way, but it has also affected others. For someone my age it is a big responsibility to save someone’s life.

Implications:
Many teenagers can’t earn this much money and a regular paying job. $6,000 per summer
People use this job as a career
How many people have ever saved someone from dying?
Not many people can say that they have.

Personal story.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2005-2009, there were an average of 3,533 fatal unintentional drowning deaths annually in the United States — about ten deaths per day. Conclusion: To be a beach lifeguard you are expected to be alert and focused at all times. You have to be responsible and study hard because everything that you learn in the classroom you will use to save someone’s life. First I described what lifeguarding was all about and the brotherhood and love behind it. Then we looked into how to become a lifeguard, and all the training it takes. Finally we discussed the implications of being a lifeguard and how not everyone is meant for this job.

Thesis: Hopefully you all realize how hard it is to keep thousands of people out of danger each summer and have taken some interest in becoming a lifeguard. Closing Statement: The dangers of this job turn many away but there are a few amount of people that can do what we do. Being taught these skills has shaped my life and has lead me to find what I want to do for the rest of my life.

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